Tishman Environment and Design Center

The Tishman Environment and Design Center (TEDC) fosters the integration of bold design, policy, and social justice approaches to environmental issues to advance just and sustainable outcomes in the context of diverse community participation.

From its inception in 2005, the Tishman Environment & Design Center (TEDC) has played a vital role at The New School and has contributed greatly to University’s environmental philosophy, most notably through the launch of an interdisciplinary undergraduate Environmental Studies degree program that has provided students from three divisions a wide array of academic experiences and supported internships.

TEDC has also played an active role in applying the University’s design and social justice tenants to the climate change movement, including the launch of the University’s first Climate Action Week as a lead up to the People’s Climate March, the largest climate protest in history. TEDC continues this momentum with a renewed and expanded vision to address the increasingly urgent need to integrate design and environment to confront climate change and its impacts on social justice; to foster efforts that enhance urban resilience; and to provide New School faculty, students, and staff opportunities for interdisciplinary research, teaching, practice, and environmental citizenship at a new level of intensity and on a wider range of issues.

Leadership

Director, Michelle DePass, Dean, Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy

Affiliated Faculty

Our affiliated faculty bring expertise and experience from multiple schools and divisions of The New School, including Parsons, the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy, The New School for Public Engagement, and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts.

Charles Allison, Associate Professor, Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy

Ana Baptista, Assistant Professor, Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy

David Bergman, Part-Time Assistant Professor, Parsons The New School for Design

Nadia Elrokhsy, Assistant Professor and Director, BFA Integrated Design Program, Parsons The New School for Design

Work

The New School's bold climate action was featured in the New York Times on February 6, 2015. Read more here.

The New School and TEDC continues to raise the bar in finding innovative ways to apply design, policy, and social justice approaches to environmental issues. A few examples of such projects are listed below:

Corbin Hill Food Project

For years, parts of the South Bronx, Harlem, and Washington Heights were known as “food deserts”—neighborhoods lacking access to fresh produce. Now, thanks to Dennis Derryck, professor of professional practice at the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy, and the Corbin Hill Food Project, those neighborhoods are no longer starved for farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Read more here

Sustainable Fashion

Zero waste fashion design represents a drastic change from contemporary design practices. Timo Rissanen, assistant professor of fashion design and sustainability at Parsons, has researched the field for years and recently curated an installation and performance piece that advocates for sustainable changes to the fashion industry. Read more here

Campus Sustainability

The New School received a STARS Silver Rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), in recognition of the university's achievements in sustainability. STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. Read more here.

Climate Action Week @ The New School

The New School demonstrates our commitment to climate action and our solidarity with people converging on New York City for the historic People’s Climate March on September 21 with a week-long series of events focused on climate change. As a leader and official endorser of the march, The New School has organized Climate Action Week, including programming offering the university and wider community opportunities for enriched learning and engagement opportunities; promoting scholarship, innovation and creativity, solidarity and collective action; and highlighting The New School’s values around climate justice and action.

Events

Join the Sustainable Cities Club of The New School and business leaders of Wyndham Hotels, Jones Lang Lasalle, Telepan restaurant, and Helpsy fashion to discuss where New York City stands as a sustainable city, what opportunities exist to fill a market demand, and how we can develop municipal policies to increase the city’s sustainability and resiliency.

This event will focus on women’s role in raising awareness and finding solutions to climate change issues specifically in the urban environment. Participants will examine what women have brought to the table in the climate movement as well as the specific benefits of employing a gendered approach to climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in terms of disaster risk recovery, green jobs, and urban infrastructure, such as public transport.

This event will provide a forum for conversations between students and young alumni who are spearheading the search for solutions to sustainability-related problems around the world. Participants will give short, provocative, and idea-rich "flash" presentations on their projects and proposals. They will also decide how to distribute seed money through a vote at the end of the event.

In celebration of Earth Day, TEDC will facilitate a full day of programming designed to stimulate thought and facilitate action around solutions to complex environmental issues at The New School and in the greater New York City community. The day will include a panel discussion featuring university faculty and community leaders, a series of lectures, and a media launch.